Law and Order: Bikini Bottom
by Lucius B. Liddy
Summary: A brutal "mugging-gone-wrong" becomes something more as detectives Tentacles and Squarepants begin to suspect that the perpetrator was really a hired killer.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Been on a major ****_Law & Order _****kick and, for no apparent reason, decided to make a Spongebob FF. The character's job is related, in some way, to the job they work in the cartoon, although some characters (Ie Patrick) won't appear in THIS FF, sorry. Enjoy! – LBL**

_In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories. _

Shell Street SE

Monday, October 31

The rain fell as the BBPD moved around the body of a young fish, covering it with a sheet of plastic to keep it dry. At 11 o'clock on a Monday, no one wanted to be out in the pouring rain dealing with a dead man; the only saving grace was that weather had kept the kids off the streets. An unmarked boat with a small siren behind the windshield pulled up, and two men steeped out, immediately identifying themselves as detectives.

"Sergeant Tentacles; this is Detective Squarepants," he said to one of the officers, "what do you have for us?"

"Just a second." The officer fumbled with his notepad. Sergeant Tentacles told Squarepants to go take a look at the body. "Ah! - here we are: male, late twenties, about six feet; judging from his clothes, I'd say middle-class; nothing on him, no wallet, identification, nothing."

"Witnesses?"

"Two," he pointed up the street, north, "around the corner, a man listening to music noticed a man running east, but didn't get much of a look." He pointed to a nearby apartment. "Sixth story, a woman heard sounds of a struggle, looked out her window to see the victim, but not the perp; she was the one who phoned it in."

"And the weapon?"

"Haven't found it yet, sir." Tentacles nodded, and then went over to the two witnesses. "Ma'am, can you tell me what happened? What did you hear?"

She was shaking slightly. "I was making dinner for my family, when I heard to men yelling and what sound like a bottle breaking. Once it stopped, I looked out the window and saw a man lying on the ground, bleeding."

"And you didn't see the man who might have done this?" She shook her head. "Thank you; what about you, sir?"

The man shrugged. "Not much; I'm just walking and listening to my music when I saw a man turn the corner on the other side of the street and run off. "

"What was he like?"

"Typical scum; dirty, ripped clothes, a bulky jacket, and a black hoodie. It was hard to tell." Tentacles asked him to pass on the info to the head officer, and then took in the scene; police running about, blood everywhere, curious onlookers getting more than they bargained for. _'A mugging gone wrong?'_

"Hey Squidy! I think I got something here!" Squirdward walked over to join his partner, who was pointing to something under a bush. Spongebob took out a tissue from his pocket and carefully picked the item up; it was a very nice knife, with a fancy hilt and a long, sharp blade. "Now how does a common mugger get a weapon this nice?"

"Maybe it wasn't a mugging." Spongebob nodded grimly as the two walked back to the boat. _'Gotta love Bikini Bottom.'_

**A/N Yes, the chapters are rather short, but I'm going to try to write this in scenes like L length will vary. Review and favorite! - LBL**


	2. Chapter 2

Office of the Medical Examiner's

North Midtown

Thursday, November 3

"The wounds certainly indicate a mugging; some bruising in the upper chest, two stab wounds to the stomach. However, the deep cut in the throat doesn't make sense."

"Well, Dr. Forrest, muggers aren't well known for smarts or clean jobs," joked Spongebob.

Forrest shook his head. "No; given the severity of the wound, it seems like whoever did it wanted to be sure that the victim died. And he did, slowly, painfully…" He trailed off.

"So, what are you saying," asked Squidward. "The perp meant to kill him?"

Forrest nodded. "That would be my guess: while I was still at Bikini Bottom General, most of the mugging victims had minor wounds or shallow stabs, and didn't die; I never saw anything like _this_ labeled as a mugging." Spongebob and Squidward shared a look.

"Was there anything else you noticed that was inconsistent?"

"Yes." Forrest picked up a jacket from a nearby bin. "The victim was wearing this jacket when he died; contrary to what was reported, I don't think the man was middle-class."

"Why do you say that?"

"This jacket costs upwards of $5,000. How does a middle-class man afford a jacket like this? And what was he doing in that part of town, at night?"

* * *

"Are you telling me that you don't think this was a mugging?" Captain Krabs sat down at his desk, looking at the two detectives on the other side; Squidward was sitting in a chair, Spongebob was leaning against some filling cabinets. "Can you explain to me why?"

"The weapon was too nice to belong to a mugger," answered Spongebob. "We think it might have been stolen. Also, the victim's wounds indicate that the perp was trying to kill him. Not to mention, it seems like the victim was wealthy."

"Well that does, sound like homicide, but for all we know it could have been an accident." Krabs looked at his desk for a moment. "So what are we looking at here, at the least; manslaughter?"

"Most likely," said Squidward.

"Make a sweep of weapons shops in the area; figure out if any of the owners recognize the make of the knife, or if they sold it. See what you turn up." The detectives nodded almost in unison, and then left the office.

**A/N I expect the chapters to get much longer as the plot develops. - LBL**


End file.
